A Kasich/Rubio Republican Ticket Makes Perfect Sense For These Obvious Reasons — Ohio Governor A Cinch To Be GOP Nominee


Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s new “Convention Manager,” may be a signal of trouble ahead for the current Republican presidential frontrunner. And despite Ted Cruz’s Wisconsin primary win and his campaign sweeping delegates at Colorado’s convention, there are several reasons why Ohio Governor John Kasich will be the GOP nominee in what is sure to be a contested convention — and Marco Rubio will be on the ticket.

Trump (743) and Ted Cruz (566) need 60 percent and 87 percent, respectively, of the remaining delegates to clinch the party’s nomination, according to the Washington Post. Kasich (143) needs the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass (some 127 percent) to get to the magic number of 1,237 delegates. But don’t count him out just yet.

While pundits agree that Kasich is likely around to steal votes away from Trump, a contested or brokered convention favors the governor. Campaign polls are not showing overwhelming support for Governor Kasich, but the subjective data-driven litmus tests don’t necessarily tell the story. Objectively speaking, John Kasich is on a collision course to be chosen as the Republican nominee for POTUS in the 2016 Elections. Here’s why.

Trump’s lackluster showing last Tuesday in Wisconsin is an omen of his campaign crashing and burning. Let’s say this: the Trump Train is slowing down and setting the campaign up for a nasty floor battle in Cleveland. Should Trump not clinch the nomination with the requisite number of delegates, he’ll likely have a hard time convincing the anti-Trump establishment that he is their guy. As it stands, he needs more than half of the remaining pledged delegates to make a case.

Senator Marco Rubio is reportedly holding on to the 172 delegates earned in 22 contests before suspending his campaign for president. Sources say Sen. Rubio is purposefully trying to create a “unity ticket” with Gov. Kasich. The unprecedented bid could account for about 600 delegates in the first balloting. Arguably, the strategy has broad appeal from whites to Latinos, young and older voters, Conservatives and Tea Party Republicans.

Both Cruz and Trump are all over the place when it comes to a head-to-head race with Hillary Clinton. However, according to Real Clear Politics, Kasich is the only candidate remaining who has never lost a poll to Clinton in the general election.

Later this month, the GOP gathers in Hollywood, Florida, for its yearly Republican National Committee meeting. There, party Elders and the like will decide what rules, if any, need changing. Ross Little Jr., a Rules Committee member, told Fox News to expect “tweaks” to occur. While he didn’t say what rules may get makeovers, some pundits suggest that the controversial Rule 40(b) created in 2012 will be a game changer. It requires a candidate to win the majority of delegates in at least eight state contests to be eligible for nomination. Accommodating changes signal one of two things: the pendulum is swinging towards a fourth candidate, or more than likely, a Kasich nod.

Trump has not held a campaign event since Cruz beat him handily (48.2 percent to 35.1 percent) in the Wisconsin primary. According to the latest results, the Texas senator picked up 36 delegates in that contest.

Meanwhile, Kasich took advantage of Trump’s absence by holding several events in New York. During a presser, Kasich said people feel “pressured to support Trump.” He went on to say that the real estate magnate and Cruz will suffer embarrassing losses in the coming months. Kasich says a vote for either candidate as a nominee risks the Republican Party losing the House and Senate while also potentially losing the Supreme Court due to a liberal appointed by a Democratic president.

Kasich ran for president in the 90s, and no, it didn’t go well. George W. Bush crushed the man, who loved wearing whimsical ties and had a reputation for trying to crash a Grateful Dead concert stage in his younger days.

Those days are long behind and “Mr. Nice Guy” John Kasich may just be the disruptor-in-chief after all if Trump continues to implode his candidacy — and Rubio is a shoo-in for the Republican ticket.

[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]

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